New Cruise Missile Developed Targeting India and China Fails Test Flight

Next-Generation Missile Force Faces Deployment Challenges
Radar Detection Difficult, Expected to Deploy Along China Border

The next-generation cruise missile of India, 'Nirbhay' [Image source=Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The test flight of India's next-generation cruise missile 'Nirbhay,' which was expected to be deployed in the border area with China, has reportedly failed. It is anticipated that it will take an additional 3 to 5 years for full operational deployment.

According to Defense News, a U.S. defense media outlet, on the 13th (local time), the test flight of India's domestically developed next-generation cruise missile Nirbhay failed due to technical defects. The Indian government stated that the missile's flight failed due to an engine technical problem just 8 minutes after launch but did not disclose detailed information about the incident.

The Nirbhay missile, developed by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) since 2007 under the Indian government's supervision, is a cruise missile weighing 1.5 tons, 6 meters in length, with a flight speed of Mach 0.6 to 0.7 (734 to 857 km/h), and an operational range of 1000 km.

Notably, Nirbhay is known to fly at low altitudes of 4 to 100 meters and can perform multiple evasive maneuvers, allowing it to completely evade enemy radar tracking and air defense systems. The Indian government has been progressing with the operational deployment of Nirbhay since 2018 and has conducted more than 10 launches and test flights so far.

The Indian government plans to deploy the Nirbhay missile in the area near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Himalayas, where recent clashes with the Chinese military occurred. Due to this test failure, full operational deployment is expected to take an additional 3 to 5 years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.